Derek Redmond completing his race to a standing ovation after tearing his hamstring in the 400m semi-final at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona

Bio

Brianna Coop achieved her ultimate goal when she represented Australia at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio. There, she competed in the 100m and 200m finals, placing 4th and 5th, respectively.

Brianna had performed strongly in the lead-up to Rio 2016, placing 3rd in the 100m and 4th in the 200m at the 2015 IPC World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

The Townsville local was introduced to her sport by her PE teacher, Marcia Langrin, in Year 7. The following year she was classified to compete in Para-athletics at the Challenge Games in Townsville, and has been coached by Dayne O’Hara since relocating to Townsville in 2013.

Ahead of big competitions, Brianna likes to eat breakfast alone to spend time focusing on her events.

With the hope of encouraging kids with disabilities, especially those with cerebral palsy, to get involved in sport, Brianna studied a Certificate III in Disability Services through Endeavour College.

When she isn’t training or competing, Brianna enjoys watching YouTube videos and comedies like The Big Bang Theory.